Wheeled sounding toy



Aug. 19, 1930. T. FUQUA U 1,773,667

l WHEELED sommms rroy Filed 'may 31, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 v j? f ATTORNEY T. FUQUA WHEELED SOUN DING TOY Filed May s1. 1929' 2 sheets-sneer -2 I Aug. 19, 1930.

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N bw .ww INN W Patented Aug. 19, 1930 ATEPATENT ist? THAXTONFUQUA, vOF EAST NASHVILL, TENESSEE t W'HEELED SOUNDING TOY lipplication filed May 31,

the resemblance to van aeroplane will be i enhanced and the attractiveness of the toy to the childish mind greatly increased.

An important object of the invention: is to provide a toy of this character which will produce a rapid succession of clicking or i snapping sounds which will at least to a certain extent resemble, naturally on Va very small scale, the stacatto explosions of an aeroplane motor so that the device will seem extraordinarily real to a child.

Another object of the invention ris to provide a toy aeroplane of this character so constructed and provided with such transmission mechanism that when pushed or pulled in one direction the propeller will be rotated whereas when it is moved in the other direction the drive means for the propeller will be disconnected, the propeller being rotated only when the device is moved forwardly in the logical manner natural to k aeroplanes.

An additional object is to provide a toy of this character which will be siinpleand inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use and control, positive in action, efiicient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention preferably consists in the arrangement of parts and details of construction to be hereinafter more fullv described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of thev complete device. 7 y

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, with the forward portion brokenV away and in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on substantially the line 3-8 yof Figure 2 and looking forwardly.

1929. Seral'No.

Figure 4 is stantially the a. detailsection taken on subline 4-4 of Figure 1 and illustrating the propeller mounting and sound producing means.

Figure v -5 is a detail cross section taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 4 with the propeller omitted, the p urpose being to illustrate the sound producing disk.

.Figure 6' is a detail perspective view of the spring member cooperating with the disk. p

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail section through the clutch mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the vdrawings, I have shown the device as comprisingan elongated body 10, which may be a .block of wood or the like, formed to resemble the fuselage of an aeroplane. Disposed against n the under side of this body near the forward portion thereof is a frame member or bracket 'structure 11 which may conveniently be formed from a Asingle length of metal strip bent to the shape shown to provide a U- shaped'central portion 12, horizontal arm portions 13 at opposite sides thereof, and vertically depending end portions 14. Secured upon and extending transversely of the body is a flat board or the like 15 intended to represent an aeroplane wing, and this member is held in place as by angularbraces 16 pivoted or otherwise secured at 17 to ythe member 11, secured to the sides of the body 10 as by screws 18, and terminating at theirupper ends in foot portions 19 secured tothe under side ofthe wing asby screws 20.

The numeral 21 ydesignates a handle structure as a whole, this handle structure being of U-shape, generally considered, and including spaced arms 22 connected at 23 to the depending ends 14 ofthe member 11, and having their outer ends converging at 24 and secured, as at 25,v upon opposite sides of an elongated wooden or other handlemember 26 by means of which the device may be pushed or pulled upon the ground or other surface. Ordinarily, handles of the type disclosed are provided with purpose of preventing the handle from sliptransverse elements 27 for'the ping out of the hand or grasp of the child using the toy.

The rear en d of the'body or fuselage 10 Kn t..

titl

.indicated .in Figure 5.

may be provided with transverse and vertical elements 28 and 29 so as to resemble the tail portion of an aeroplane.

Extending through the doyvnturned ends 14 of the frame member 11 is a shaft 30 equipped at its ends with Wheels 31, one of which is fast and the other of which may turn upon the shaft. It is immaterial yWhich Wheel is rotatable and which is fixed With resoect to the shaft, but the purpose in having one loose upon the Vshaft is to permit the'V device to be moved in a circular path Without binding of the parts. Rotatable upon the sha-ft 30 Within the confines of the U-shaped central portion 'l2 of the frame member 11 is a relatively large beveled gear 32 equipped at one side WithV a clutch member 33 adapted to cooperate With a clutch member 34 splined upon the shaft 3() and urged toward the beveled gear 32 by a coil spring 35 abutting against a Washer 36 held in place by a cotter pin 37 or the like.

The hub of the gear 32 is shown as bearing against a Washer 38 held in place by engagement. against a Cotter pin 39, though any equivalent structure may be provided. lt Will be noted that the clutch members 33 and 34 are of ratchet like form so that when the shaft 30 is turned in one direction the engagement of the clutch members will cause the gear 32 to be rotated Whereas when the shaft is turned in the opposite direction the clutch member 34 will slide over the clutch member 33 Without turning the gear 32.

The under side of the body is recessed at 40 for the accommodation of the gear 32, and extending into this recess and journaled through the forward portion of the body is an upwardly and forwardly inclined shaft 41 having its outer end carrying a propeller 42 secured thereto in any desired manner whatsoever. Carried by the shaft 41 at the inner faceA of the hub of the propeller and seeured'in any desired manner for rot-ation with the shaft 41 is a disk 43 formed With a circular series of holes or recesses 44 as clearly Carried by the forward end ofthe body 10 is a hammer device formed as an elongated leaf spring 45, apertured at 46 for the passage of the shaft 41 and held in place by screws 4'? Which pass through a retaining plate 48, through holes 49 in the spring and into the forward end of the body. The secured end of this spring is preferably enclosed Within or bet-Ween the end portions of a folded over leather or other yieldable cushion or pad 50 Which is held by the same screws 47 and which is provided for the" purpose of deadening or muiiliug the sounds produced by the engagement of a lug or other projection 51 on the free end of the spring Within the series of holes or recesses 44 in the disk 43. If desired this muifling or deadening member might be omitted, its only purpose being to modify the sound produced.

Suitably secured upon the inner end of the shaft 41 is a beveled pinion 52 Which meshes with the gear 32 so that when the latter is rotated, the shaft 41 carrying the propeller and sounding disk 43 will also be rotated. To protect the mechanism, that is to say the gearing and clutch device, I preferably provide a shield or guard 53, of sheet metal or the like and preferably of semi-cylindrical shape sc- `cured to the under side of the body at the recess 40 therein as clearly indicated in Figures 2 and 3.

In the operation of the device, it Will be seen that the child handles the device by means of the handle 26 and pushes it or pulls it along upon the floor or surface of the ground. VeryV likely the device Will be pushed forwardly and then pulled rearuf'ardly, the exact mode of use being indeterminate on account of the notions of children. V'Then the device is pushed forwardly, the rotation of Whichever Wheel 31 is fixed upon the shaft 30 Will cause the shaft to be rotated Whereupon the clutch member 34 carried thereby will engage With the clutch member 33 on the gear 32 and rotate the latter, the rotation of Whichwill be communicated through the pinion 52 to the shaft 41 and propeller 42 which Will turn at considerable sneed so as to produce a realistic effect. At the same time, the disk 43 rotating in engagement with the projection or lug 51 on the spring 45 will be engaged by this lug which enters the successive holes 44.

In this Way it is apparent that there Will be a clicking or snapping sound produced scinewln t resembling the stacatto explosions of an aeroplane motor. The function of the yielding packing member has already been described and need not be repeated. When the device is moved in the other direction, the shape of the faces of the clutch members and 34 is such that they will ride over each other and the gear 32 will not be rotated but Will probably continue to turn with respect to the shaft 30 owing to the momentum of the previously rotated and still rotating propeller. It will therefore be apparent that pushing the device forwardly and then pulling it backwardly in fairly rapid succession, there will be a ratchet like rotativedrive for the propeller so that the latter will really continue to spin. as long as the motion of the device on the door or `other surface is continued. Obviously, if the device is drawn along rearwardly for any appreciable length of time the propeller will stop spinning when it loses its momentum and will remain stopped until the device is again pushed forwardly to cause the clutch members to cooperate and drive the gearing and propeller shaft.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it Will be apparent Cil bles an aeroplanewhich, as is well known,

has quite an cxtreme fascination for chil-` dren. It is believed that the construction, operation and advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art without further explanation.

While I have shown and described the pre` ferredV embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the details of construction as well as the arrangement and combination of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim l. In a toy of the character described, a body having characteristics resembling an aeroplane, a shaft journally mounted with respect to the body and carrying ground engaging wheels, 'a propeller shaft journaled longitudinally of the forward end of the body and carrying a propeller, a drive connection between both of said shafts comprising a pinion on the propeller shaft, a gear on the first named shaft meshing withsaid pinion, and a clutch mechanism interposed between the lirst named shaft and the gear for the purpose of rotating the latter when the shaft is moved in one direction.

2. In a toy of the character described, a body having characteristics resembling an aeroplane, a frame member carried by the body, a shaft journaled through the frame member Vand carrying ground engaging wheels, a handle structure connected with the frame member whereby kthe device may be moved upon the floor or ground, a propeller shaft journaled through the forward portion of the body and carrying a propeller, a pinion on said propeller shaft, a gear rotatable on said first named shaft and meshing with said pinion, aratchet like clutch member carried by the gear, and a spring pressed,

ratchet like clutch member splined upon said iirst named shaft and cooperating with the first named clutch member for rotating said gear and consequently the propeller shaft when the device is moved in one direction along the ground or floor.

3. In a toy of the character described, a body having characteristics resembling an aeroplane, a frame member carried by the body, a shaft journaled through the frame member and carrying ground engaging wheels, a handle structure connected with the frame member whereby the device may v be moved upon the ioor or ground, a propeller shaft journaled through the forward portion of the body and carrying a propeller,

f a pinion on said propeller shaft', a gear rotatable on said first named shaft and meshing with said pinion, a ratchet like clutch member carried by the gear, a spring pressed ratchet like clutch member splinedk upon said first named shaft and 'cooperating with the first named clutch member for rotating said gear and consequently the propeller shaft when the device is moved in one direction along the groundkor floor, the under side of said body being formed with a recess `accommodating the gear and pinion, and a housing member secured upon the under side of the body at said recess and enclosing the gearing.

4. A toy of the character described comprising an elongated body having characteristics resembling an aeroplane, a frame member located at the under side of the body and including downturned arms and a U-shaped downwardly extending central portion, a shaft journaled through said downturned arms and said U-shaped central portion and carrying ground engaging wheels, a handle structure connected with said downturned arms, a ratchet like clutclr' member splined upon said shaft within the confines rof said central portion and spring pressed in one and means operable upon rotation of the j propeller shaft for making a rapid succession of snapping sounds.

5. A toy of the character described comprising an elongated body having characteristics resembling an aeroplane, a frame member located at the under side of the body and including downturned arms and a U-sha'ped downwardly extending central portion, a shaft journaled through said downturned arms and said U-shaped central portion and carrying ground engaging wheels, a handle structure connected with said downturned arms, a ratchet like clutch member splined upon said shaft within the confines of said central portion and spring pressed in one direction, a beveled gear rotatably mounted on said shaft within said U-shaped portion of the frame member, a propeller shaft journaled through the forward end portion of the body and carrying a pinion meshing with said beveled gear, a propeller on said shaft, means operable upon rotation of the propeller shaft for makinga rapid succession of snapping sounds, said means comprising a disk on the propeller shaft provided with a plurality of recesses and a spring member secured upon the forward end of the body and having a projection adapted to enter the successive recesses in the disk.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

THAXTON FUQUA. 

